


Never Thought You'd Open Your Arms To Me (But You Did)

by ErrorCode_21891711



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Author is a TommyInnit Apologist (Video Blogging RPF), Bad Parent Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Family Dynamics, Found Family, Gen, Guilty Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Happy Ending, Hurt Toby Smith | Tubbo, Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Long-Haired TommyInnit, Parental Alexis | Quackity, Parental Cara | CaptainPuffy, Parental Karl Jacobs, Parental Niki | Nihachu, Parental Sapnap, Ranboo Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo Needs a Hug, TommyInnit Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:21:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28951851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErrorCode_21891711/pseuds/ErrorCode_21891711
Summary: There are many people Tommy could have gone to or ask for help from, but he was never one to ask for help, never one to admit he needed it. Of course that didn't stop others from helping him when they realized he needed it and one person above everyone else came to help him. It was unexpected but not unwelcomed and he wouldn't have changed this outcome for anything else.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & TommyInnit, Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Cara | CaptainPuffy & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Cara | CaptainPuffy/Niki | Nihachu, Karl Jacobs & TommyInnit, Niki | Nihachu & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Ranboo & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, TommyInnit & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 39
Kudos: 871
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	1. Chapter 1

It was over, they had won with the help of almost everyone else. Tommy hadn’t expected them to come through the portal and stand up for them but they did and he couldn’t be more grateful for their help. He was tired, lazily staring out towards the rising. “Tommy?” He turned his gaze landing on the last person he thought he’d talk to today.

  
“H-hey Karl” He said, giving his best smile but from the sound of his voice and the heavy feeling of trying to force a smile made him assume he looked tired. He was and probably looked pathetic to the man. Karl frowned but came forward to stand in front of the bench. Tommy was a little surprised when he took his arm and pulled him up onto his feet and off the bench taking his left arm and wrapping it around his shoulders while wrapping his own arm around his lower waist.

“Come on let's get you fixed up” Karl muttered pulling him to walk with him and Tommy lazily did so, his movements sluggish and slightly painful and that was when he noticed he hadn’t taken care of any of his injuries from the fight. He breathed in heavily and tried to stand up more straight and put less of his weight on Karl but that only resulted in pain spiking up his leg. “Probably a sprained ankle” Karl muttered as he dragged Tommy towards some direction Tommy wasn’t registering. He just let Karl take him in some random direction until there was another voice in the air than just Karl’s. He looked up surprised to see them standing in front of Punz’s house.

“Can you help me with him?” Karl asked Punz who stood holding the iron doors open. Punz raised an eyebrow but nodded and allowed them inside. Karl brought him over to a bunch of chests on some walls pushing him to sit down. Punz seemed to be digging around and Tommy just slumped his body aching and beginning to realize his injuries that he hadn’t acknowledged after the fight.

He vaguely remembered being handed a potion and only realized Karl was shaking his shoulders when he looked at the man who was now kneeling in front of him with a worried expression. “I need you to drink the potion” He said and Tommy nodded in understanding uncorking the bottle and downing it slowly not wanting it to go down the wrong pipe and end up in a coughing fit. That probably would make the bruises on his chest hurt if that happened.

He handed the bottle to Karl who had his hand out waiting for him to give it to him after he finished the bottle. Karl walked off after that and Tommy leaned back feeling the effects of a healing potion take over him and the exhaustion seemed to be getting the better of him as he dozed off before falling asleep to the sound of returning footsteps.

[-----]

Tommy woke up oddly warm, he rolled over in bed, cracking one eye open and coming face to face with a dark oak wall. He frowned, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes trying to fight off the leftover sleep and exhaustion that was still there. Once he stopped he looked around the room, wall to wall of dark oak with his bed being pushed into the far right corner of the room with two windows against the back wall and a desk in between them two dressers on either side of the door and a closet or bathroom he assumed in the far left corner of the room.

He stood shakily realizing he was dressed in a plain white long sleeved shirt and dark grey sweatpants, his shoulder length hair pulled back into a ponytail. He walked over to the door pulling it open and stepping into a hallway a door across from his own and two more doors to the left, to the right there was a staircase leading down. He walked down the staircase his footsteps being pretty easy to hear, he came to a stop in another hallway with two doors, he peeked through the first to his right where he found a lounge room or living room with a coffee table in the middle and two three person couches across from each other and two on person chairs across from each other.

He looked into the room on his left and found a kitchen room with an island table. Karl stood in front of a stove holding a pan over the heating coil. From the smell Tommy could tell it was soup. “Glad to see you awake,” Karl said. “It’s just a little past noon so it’s too late for breakfast” Karl said with a yawn giving away he had barely woken up maybe an hour or so before Tommy had. Tommy just hummed and moved over to sit at one of the island table stools while looking around the room.

“Where are we?” He asked, his voice oddly quiet as he slumped in his seat. He was picking at the edge of his sleeves realizing his big the shirt was on him, he was still a bit malnourished. The fact he’s always been tall and lanky didn’t help since it always looked like he was skin and bones; his malnourishment didn’t help with that either.

“This is my home, a small cottage I built in a dark oak biome surrounded by the trees to prevent it from being seen, the only way here is through nether portal it’s impossible to find without the coordinates in the overworld, I figured you’d want some piece of quiet from everything after the fight with Dream” Karl told him while taking the pot of the heating coil and setting it down on an iron pot holding that kept it from touching the counter. Karl pulled open two ceiling cabinets and pulled down two bowls before closing them then pulling open a drawer and grabbing two spoons.

Tommy watched him pour the soup and place the spoons in, then turned around and sat across from him at the island table sliding a bowl over to him. Tommy took it without much question and they sat in calm silence until after a few sips from his chicken noodle stew he got up from his seat moving over to the ender chest that was placed near the door he pulled it open and pulled out chirp and a jukebox placing it down beside the ender chest and inserting the disc.

The song began to play and Tommy walked back over to his seat the silence no longer empty and void of noise and now filled with the music coming from the jukebox. Karl didn’t seem to mind and he seemed even more relaxed than before so Tommy let it be and they continued to eat.

After finishing Karl told him he had a few things to tend to at the Smp and that he could come but he declined and asked if he could stick around here. Karl told him he was welcomed anytime and then gathered his things and left leaving him to wander the outside of the cottage. Despite being surrounded by large dark oak trees and being well hidden from view there was a lot of space and from the outside the house looked small and cozy cottage. 

There was a small wheat farm outside the house and there was a large collection of different colored flowers spread out throughout the entire small clearing that surrounded the house. There was a bench on the porch that you could sit on and see clearing from. He sat down and stared out into the clearing pulling his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them and began to think back on everything.

Of all the people to help him he expected the last to be Karl who had mostly remained neutral sure he had sided with Dream during the Manburg vs Pogtopia war but that was because Sapnap, George and Dream were the people he knew most and before him Quackity and Sapnap were in a relationship. The thought that the three were dating was a little odd but not too odd, he’s head of poly relationships where there are more than two people dating each other. It's different from an open relationship.

He’s only read about them and never really seen them so seeing Quackity, Sapnap and Karl together from time to time had been a bit odd but he didn’t care what they did together as long as they were happy being with one another. He admitted he had never been the best person on the Smp and was responsible for a lot of the conflict but he had paid the price for all the trouble in the end right? He had been exiled twice and had almost died to Dream yesterday so was his pain finally over. If he was being honest he didn’t want that question to be answered.

“Tommy?” He looked up again seeing Karl come out of the house with a worried look on his face that drained away when he saw Tommy sitting on the bench. The portal to the nether was in the basement under the house, Karl had told him before he left just in case he wanted to leave. “Thought you left” He muttered walking over to sit beside him and stare out into the clearing.

They sat in silence, something they seemed to do a lot until Tommy spoke. “Can you do something for me?” He asked.

Karl looked at him in confusion but curiosity and nodded. Tommy opened his inventory and pulled out three items, two envelopes he had written before the fight with Dream for Phil and Techno and Techno’s axe of peace. He held them out to Karl. “Can you give these to Phil and Techno?” He asked.

“Sure, I’d need coordinates to his house though” Karl responded. Tommy nodded taking out a notebook in his inventory and held it out to Karl. despite what many thought of him he regularly wrote things down not for any particular purpose but he found writing somewhat soothing which was why he wrote ‘how to sex 1-3’ even if those three were only joke things he wrote. He had opened the book to a page before handing it to Karl. It was a list of locations with coordinates one of them being written as “Techno’s home” With the coordinates under it.

“Okay, I’ll guess I can do this tomorrow since it’s getting pretty late and I wanted to ask if you wanted to help make dinner” Karl said, Tommy nodded and followed the older man back inside where they began gathering everything Karl would need to make dinner for the two of them. It was oddly calming as Karl pointed Tommy in the direction of where everything was in the cabinets from pots to pans to utensils while Karl gathered potatoes in a bowl and began to peel them with a small but sharp edged knife. After Tommy set down a rather big pot on the heating coil and moved over to help Karl peel the potatoes they began to make small talk.

“You didn’t seem to do much while I was gone” Karl noted, his voice wasn’t questioning just mentioning.

Tommy shrugged as he continued to cut the potato over the garbage can. “Didn’t have much to do around here” he muttered as he set the potato in another basket for peeled ones.

“Can you grab the carrots from the pantry?” Karl asked, pointing to the door Tommy had originally thought was a back door. He walked over and opened it finding a rather large room of baskets, boxes, glass jars all stacked upon each other neatly with a some shelves that held the glass jars. He looked around until he found a basket with a tag that said ‘Carrots’ he pulled the basket out. “How many?” He yelled to Karl.

“Get me five!” Karl yelled back. Tommy picked up five and closed the basket lid and pushed it back into its original spot exiting the pantry and kicking the door closed with his foot. He walked back over to Karl who had a cutting board out on the counter and was cleaning the potatoes off and setting them in another clean bowl while also cleaning the two bowls they used to hold the potatoes before and after they were peeled. “Start cutting the potatoes for me, wash your hands before and hand me those,” Karl said, taking the carrots from him as Tommy went to wash his hands and dry them off before grabbing a bigger knife.

Living with Technoblade and having the man as his older brother and since said man had been obsessed with farming potatoes for almost a year and a few months he knew how to cut potatoes in the way Techno had taught him. Even then he learned most of his things from Wilbur and sometimes Techno but never from Phil the man to busy going on adventures and sometimes bringing Techno leaving him and Wilbur to fend for themselves and seemingly forgetting he had two other sons that were younger. Wilbur always got mad and had thought multiple times about taking them both away from that place but never did and in the end they ended up here. With Wilbur dead and wanting to be revived and Tommy spending time with someone he’d never expected.

The sound of boiling water made him lift his gaze to see Karl dumping in the cut carrots and some chilly before motioning for Tommy to put the potatoes in. He did what Karl wanted and the man moved away from him after to wash his hands Tommy following after him, once their hands were washed he watched as Karl pulled out a wooden spoon from the drawer to stir the beef stew he had told Tommy he was making. “Start cleaning those dishes will you?” Karl asked.

Tommy nodded and stood back up from his seat and grabbed the cutting board and the knife he used and grabbing the one Karl had used and putting them to into the skin, turning on the facet and making sure the water wasn’t to hot or too cold before grabbing a sponge and pouring soap into it and beginning to clean the dishes running them under the water to get the soap off. He put them on the dish rakes after to let them dry while opening the window in front of the sink to let out the warm air. “Stir this for me while I go empty my inventory really quickly” Karl said and Tommy walked over to him taking the wooden spoon and stirring it while Karl walked off.

It didn’t take long before the man came back dressed in a long sleeved shirt similar to his sweater he usually wore and white sweatpants. He took the wooden spoon from Tommy and looked into the pot. “Go sit” Karl ordered and Tommy took his seat he had earlier this noon. He noticed the sun had set outside now and it was mostly dark save for a few blue fire lanterns hung around the house and near the edge of the forest.

A bowl was set in front of him, he took the spoon offered to him by Karl with a smile on his face and the two fell into conversation with Tommy asking what Karl had to do back in the main part of the Smp.

[-----]

They fell into a bit of a routine after that with Tommy staying and guarding the house and Karl leaving to do whatever he needed to do in the main Smp lands and coming back with books, flower seeds for Tommy to plant and more supplies he even got Tommy a new set of netherite armor and tools for if he ever needed to use it. They expanded the basement and filled it with books that Karl and Tommy would read either separate or together. A month into Tommy staying with Karl he asked Karl to help him with improving his writing.

He was never the best, his letters coming out looking slightly scribble and messed up so Karl agreed happy to teach him. The thought of learning something from Karl made his heart flutter and fill with warmth and he began to see Karl as a sort of guardian figure, he didn’t want to say parental because he doesn’t think Karl would want him to consider him that or be comfortable with the idea.

A week into Karl teaching him and his writing already looked a lot neater than it did the first time and while Karl was gone and Tommy did some digging round he found an ink sack, a book and a feather and crafted a book and quill and began writing sitting at his desk and staring out the window whenever he got stuck on a part of the random book he was writing. He found writing soothing still and enjoyed the time he spent writing in that book about everything that happened. He did of course change the names in the story finding comfort in the name change instead of using names he remembers.

By the time March came around the library was filled with a lot of books some still strewn around on top of chests along with an overflow of potions that Karl and him had brewed over the course of a week since Tommy had worried that Karl didn’t have enough healing potions while going out afraid he’d get attack and leave him alone. He’d never admit to being clingy now and never had before. Tommy was a little worried since he hadn’t talked to anyone besides Karl for a long time he hadn’t even seen Tubbo but he was too busy enjoying his time with Karl the thought of seeing anyone else always left his mind spending his days laughing and reading and brewing with Karl and writing when the man wasn’t around.

It was until March 8th did Karl bring anyone around to the small cottage that they both called home. “Tommy!” He stood up abruptly a grin spreading across his face as he stomped over to his door throwing it open and storming down the stairs coming face to face with Karl standing in the doorway to the kitchen leaning against its entrance way arms crossed and smiles on his face. “We have guests” Karl said and Tommy peaked into the kitchen dressed in a normal fitting burgundy long sleeved shirt with black fitting jeans and fingerless gloves, black leather knee high boots and a amethyst crystal earring on his right ear replacing the emerald one he long since forgotten in the cup he used as a pencil holder. The earring was a gift from Karl who had a matching one in the form of a ring. Tommy’s hair was also longer going a bit past his shoulder blades and Karl loved to spend his time pulling Tommy’s hair back into a french braid.

Tommy stared at Sapnap and Quackity who sat at the island table staring back at him in shock. “Wait! He’s been here the whole time Karl! you never told us!?” Sapnap yelled in shock.

“Did you guys not know I was here, with Karl?” He asked, tilting his head.

“No they didn’t, only Punz though and even then I assumed you wanted privacy” Karl said with a shrug and a frown on his face.

“Tommy!” Quackity came over to him pulling him into a hug. “You just abruptly disappeared for like two months are you insane, could have sent us a letter or something” Quackity huffed as he pulled away.

  
“Sorry, got caught with spending time with Da- I mean Karl” he stuttered out feeling his face heat up at his mistake. Karl just gave him a grin while Sapnap and Quackity looked in between them both.

  
“You two just live here together,” Sapnap said.

“Yeah, Karl’s been teaching me how to write better, and cook and he brings me books. We built a library! And he brings me new flower seeds to plant and I’ve been sketching them in my notebook” Tommy said, going off on a tangent as he pushed Quackity back to sit at the island table taking the seat next to Sapnap.

Karl just chuckled and sat across from him next to Quackity's arm coming up to wrap around the man’s shoulder and leaning against him. “Tommy calm down kid” Karl huffed a fond smile on his face as he shook his head reaching over the counter to ruffle his hair.

“Oh shut up Dad-” He cut himself of eyes wide and Karl’s smile grew ever wider. “I didn’t mean it!” He huffed turning away from Karl.

“Aw! Tommy it’s okay you can call me Dad if you want” Karl teased but with a hopeful undertone.

“Hey what about us as your fiancés do we get to be called Dad by your adopted son” Sapnap pouted although his tone was light hearted and joking.

“I feel like Sapnap and Quackity would be the really chaotic Dads but also try to be the cool Dads at the same time” Tommy said out of the blue before he fully registered Sapnap’s words. “WAIT! FIANCES?!” He said turning to Karl who had a huge grin on his face.

“That's right I forgot to tell you, I’ve talked to you about me wanting to propose to them and well you encouraged me to so I went for it using the rings we made together for them” Karl said sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

“Wait Tommy encouraged you!” Quackity said in disbelief.

“Yeah I did, I told him if he loved you two that much then go for it” Tommy shrugged with a grin on his face. “Can I be the ring bearer at the wedding?” Tommy added with a grin on his face.

“Sure kid” Sapnap huffed with a grin on his own ruffling Tommy’s hair.

“Oh you three shut up and help me make dinner, and Tommy they’ll be crashing here from now on if that's fine with you?” Karl said in question as he got up with Tommy doing the same for them to begin their usually routine.

  
“Of course it’s fine this isn’t my house” Tommy responded.

  
“Yes but you’ve lived here longer, it’s as much your house as it is mine. After all I’d want my son to be happy in his own home” Tommy couldn’t stop the flood of warmth from being referred to as ‘son’ by Karl who seemed like the last person that would call him such a thing.

“Yeah there fine” He huffed ignoring the warm feeling in his cheeks. “Sapnap help me cut potatoes, Quackity help Karl grab the utensils and set the table” Tommy said, getting a smile from Karl.

[-----]

Pretty soon with Sapnap and Quackity becoming common residents in Tommy and Karl’s household they quickly became part of their daily routine of Karl leaving for the main Smp lands and sometimes Quackity or Sapnap tagging along but never both one of the them always staying behind to keep Tommy company and spend time with him.

When it was Quackity that stayed they’d spend their time running around the meadow sort of playing tag or sometimes getting into random games of fun activities of Quackity watching as Tommy sketched stuff which was something he had become quite good at even doing a sketch of all four of them in like a sort of family picture with Tommy standing in the middle of Quackity and Sapnap both having a hand on his head ruffling his hair grins on their faces and Karl to the side a fond smile on his face. He let Quackity keep the sketch and they framed it and it hangs in the hallway.

When Sapnap stayed Tommy would show him the book he wrote and let the man read over it and then listen to his complains that there's no more for him to read because Tommy stopped writing and would complain to Tommy asking when he’d write more cause it was interesting. Other times Sapnap and Tommy would talk about getting a pet which led to the 25th of March when Sapnap came back with a parrot named Clementine, their feathers being bright red.

April rolled around and Tommy never realized when he started referring to Sapnap as Pop’s and Quackity as either old man or Pa. But none of them said anything about it, they also began taking pictures. They had one of Sapnap and Tommy leaning against each other fallen asleep on the couch after reading a book together. One of Tommy and Quackity sitting side by side while Tommy sketching in the garden. Another of Tommy and Karl cooking together in the kitchen and even one of them doing the dishes. And a few pictures of all of them together smiling.

They even got them matching jewelry to the amethyst ring Karl had and the earring Tommy had. They got Sapnap an earring to and Quackity got a pin to put on his beanie he normally wore and it he wasn’t wearing the beanie he’d put the pin on the front of his shirt or jacket. Tommy did end up talking to Tubbo through their communicators and jumping into a call with his best friend where they talked about everything that went down and how some assumed Tommy left or just wanted to be alone but Tommy told him he was staying with Karl and just taking a break.

Tubbo told him how he was staying with Niki and Puffy who had taken him and were helping him. They talked about how this was good for them and that they were beginning to heal. They promised to plan meets up later and talk in person but ended the call.

[-----]

“Tommy!” he shot up in bed running a hand through his hair while rubbing his eyes at the loud yell of his name. He threw the blankets off of him and bolted down the stairs almost crashing into Sapnap who quickly took him by the shoulders. “Tommy, can you go with Quackity to the Smp mainlands because Karl’s running a fever and can’t go do what he needs to do?” Sapnap said with a frown.

“Yeah just let me get ready” he said sleepily and Sapnap nodded with a smile ruffling his hair.

“Don’t keep him waiting” He said and stalked away while Tommy returned to his room to change out of his pajamas and into more presentable clothing. He didn’t know what would be casual and what wouldn’t be so he dressed in his long sleeved burgundy shirt and black pants, his high collar black vest jacket and his knee high black leather boots with black fingerless gloves that went to his elbows and his amethyst earring. He also packed a backpack before realizing he was taking a bit too long when he heard Quackity yell at him.

“Tommy! Hurry up!”

“I’m coming!” He yelled back closing his door as he stomped down the stairs to join Quackity in the basement where the nether portal was. He followed Quackity as they stepped through and stuck close to the man as they wandered through the nether he hasn’t been to the nether for the past three months and was a little wary of everything.

They get to the main Smp lands portal and step through to the other side Quackity pulling out a list of things Karl needed to do here at the Smp. He hands it to Tommy who looks it over, it’s a rather simple list of checking out the library the Smp has which not many people use so Karl just steals books he thinks Tommy will like since the place is practically overflowed with books that George, Alyssa and Callahan had collected when they first built the library at the start of the Smp before they joined.

That was pretty simple for them to do except he barely knew where it was since it was such an old building probably as old as the community house. Quackity led the way to the library which was rather huge but not easy to find considering it was underground instead of above ground like he thought it’d be. He looked around at all the books noticing how they were categorized by genre and alphabetical order. He walked over to the fantasy based books and began to look through them, shoving one’s he liked into his backpack until he had above 10 books with him and then turned back to Quackity who was waiting near the stairs leading out of the underground library.

The next thing they need to do is go to see Niki’s flower shop that she shares with Puffy to get flowers and bring them to the crater of L’manburg as a way to pay . Apparently Tubbo has also been working there with them and Karl regularly gives him updates on what he’s doing at home so Tommy’s going to enjoy giving Tubbo a special surprise. But he can’t help but feel a little worried about how he’ll react he did up and leave for like two months without an explanation to him so he must have been worried and mad, probably thought he had been kidnapped.

“TommyInnit, get your head out of the clouds” Quackity huffed nudging him in the shoulder. Tommy glared at him, despite everything he may not curse as much as he used to but that didn’t mean he’s forgotten the amount of insults he has in his vocabulary and he was going to say a few choice words to Quackity if he does that again.

He sighed heavily as he pushed open the door to Niki and Puffy’s shared flower shop the sound of a bell going off. Niki looked up from the counter and his eyes brightened. “Puffy, Tubbo!” She called to the back as she moved around the counter and pulled Tommy into a bone crushing hug that he returned. Puffy and Tubbo came out from the back room and Tubbo practically jumped the counter to get to him and pulled him into a hug just as Niki pulled away.

“Tommy!” He said.

“Tubbo!” He responded and tightened his arms around the shorter teen. They pulled away and Tommy turned to Puffy and Niki both smiling while standing side by side hands intertwined. “So you're staying with Niki and Puffy?” he said in question.

Tubbo snorted. “You're staying with Quackity, Karl and Sapnap” He retorted the smile on his face.

Tommy rolled his eyes. “I’m only here because Dad got sick and Pops had to stay with him so I had to come with Pa to do whatever errands Dad had” Tommy elaborated getting a surprised look from Tubbo while Quackity just smiled fondly beside him.

  
“You call them Dad, Pops and Pa” Tubbo said with a grin. “Just like how I’ve stuck to calling Niki and Puffy Mom and Ma” Tubbo added.

  
Tommy shrugged. “Phil wasn’t exactly the best parental figure, he made it perfectly clear he preferred Techno over the three of us” Tommy said with a shrug not feeling as hurt as he used to about Phil choosing Techno and then replacing him with Ranboo after. Tubbo frowned but nodded in understanding.

“We don’t live here at the Smp, we have a place called snowchester in a tundra that we travel back to every day” Tubbo said. “I’ll give you the coordinates so you can come and visit” Tubbo said with a grin.

“I’d love to, maybe I can bring Dad, Pops and Pa to for a snow day” He responded with a grin. “But we need to get the flowers first,” He said.

“Right!” Niki said hurriedly going into the back and the sound of shuffling things could be heard until Niki came out from the back room a bundle of different colored tulips in her arms most of the colors resembling L’manburgs flag. Tommy took the flower bundle and Niki gave him one last hug. “On the house” She said with a smile. Tommy nodded and with one last hug to Tubbo him and Quackity set out to the crater of L’manburg.

Getting there wasn’t a problem since not many people seemed to be around but he did catch a glimpse of Punz who stared for a few silent moments before walking away. Tommy just continued down the path until they got to L’manburgs crater which was now more of a lake filled with water and the giant obsidian walkway was moved but it still was different.

“Before the crater was filled in with water most of the others worked together to create a pillar in the center” Quackity said as he pointed to the small island in the middle of the lake held up by the pillar below it. “And then we created walkways” Tommy looked at the four walkways coming from all four different sides of the crater to the center island. “A gravestone for the country that was never meant to be” Quackity said with sorrow. Tommy nodded and took a step forward. Quackity following close behind him as they came to a stop in the middle island where a gravestone laid and flowers were set around it.

“Here lies L'manburg, a once great and strong country that many fought for” Tommy read out loud a frown on his face as he crouched and set the bundle of flowers down on the ground in front of the gravestone.

“Tommy?” He turned his eyes, landing on Ranboo who stood on the walkway a bundle of flowers in his arms as well. He gave Tommy a smile as he came forward dressed in clothing similar to what Phil and Techno wore; he took note of how much it didn’t hurt to see Ranboo in those clothes.

“Hey Ranboo” He said with a grin as he stood up opening his arms waiting for a hug. Ranboo came forward with quick steps and engulfed him in a hug being taller than him by a lot. Luckily though Tommy wasn’t as malnourished as he used to be thanks to his and Karl's cooking. “You look well Ranboo” He said.

“As do you too” Ranboo responded with a smile on his face that faltered slightly. “Uh? You should visit the cottage sometimes” He whispered. “Phil and Techno have been wanting to talk to you ever since Karl delivered the Axe and the letters back” Ranboo shrugged after he finished speaking. “Or you could just come to visit me, it’s been a little lonely not having someone my age around” Ranboo said.

“I’m planning a meet up with Tubbo soon, you wanna join?” He asked.

“I’d like that,” Ranboo responded.

[-----]

Going to the mainlands of the Smp became the norm when June came around and they did it regularly as a family except for on the days when Tommy didn’t want to. He was healing and he’d never thought he’d have Quackity, Sapnap and Karl of all people to help him heal, but there were still a few bridges he needed to burn. He had long since let go of his past grudges against Schlatt, Dream, Techno and anyone else who’s ever wronged him and was just tired, so, so tired of fighting that all he wanted was to enjoy the comfort of home with his family.

It was a regular day of getting up and getting ready, letting Karl braid his hair before they left with Sapnap and Quackity putting a few flowers into his braid which Tommy didn’t mind. Over the course of time they’ve been living together Sapnap’s hair has also grown longer while Karl and Quackity choose to cut theirs so Sapnap now has almost shoulder length hair that he pulls back from his face with his bandana which helps a bit.

Once there all ready they set off to the mainlands of the Smp and begin their errands of going to the library finding whatever books Tommy and Karl want and then going to visit Niki, Puffy and Tubbo at the flower shop where Geroge also now works. Tommy’s heard Eret finally got around to adopting Fundy given another chance by Phil and that Dream’s been getting more visitors. Tommy has wanted to visit but hasn’t worked up the courage to do so but he will once he does have that supposed courage.

After getting the flowers and talking with Tubbo, George, Puffy and Niki for an hour they head off to L’manburgs crater to put the flowers down. As they grow closer they stop at the bottom of the stairs, Karl almost running into Tommy when he abruptly stops and moves to hide behind the three of them. Standing before them is Philza and Technoblade with Ranboo by their side dressed in similar clothing to them. Tommy peaks at them from around Sapnap's eyes, locking with Phil who looks happy to see him.

“Tommy!” He says as he walks over with Techno and Ranboo. “We’ve been meaning to talk to you” Phil says.

  
“So I’ve heard,” Tommy says awkwardly as he comes out from hiding behind the three men that he now calls his dads. “Ranboo told me” He muttered, rubbing his arm as he looked to the ground, kicking a rock.

“Can we talk, in private” Phil says, his gaze shifting to Sapnap, Quackity and Karl. Tommy was about to say yes but was interrupted.

“Absolutely not!” Karl says stepping up and grabbing his shoulder. He can tell Sapnap also steps up on his other side from the heavy hand on his shoulder that's far lighter than Karl's. “I won’t allow you to even be near him unsupervised by either me or my fiancés” Karl adds, probably glaring at Phil.

“Tommy’s my son-”

“You lost the right to call him your son the day you chose one over the other” Quackity cuts in. 

Phil looks like he’s about to snap back but Tommy steps in to try and deescalate the situation. “He’s right” he sighs and Phil frowns. “Dad, Pops, Pa stop” He says, turning to look at the three who frown in response. “I can handle this” he adds, turning back to face Phil who looks shocked, just as shocked as Techno and Ranboo. “Phil listen, don’t take this personal or anything but I’ve moved on. I have other people in my life, I’ve spent all this time trying to get your approval but I realized somewhere along the way that's never going to happen since your so hyper fixed on Techno”

“Tommy I’m not-”

“Don’t” He sighs, cutting Phil off. “You have Ranboo to worry about now, not just Techno and honest to god lets hope you can be a better father to him that you were to me” He can see the hurt look in Phil’s eyes and the surprised, confused and worried expressions on Techno’s and Ranboo’s faces but doesn’t acknowledge them to much. “Now we came here to do something” He stepped forward walking past them while giving Ranboo a pat on the shoulder the sound of Karl, Sapnap and Quackity following after him as he went to the middle island of the lake. He sets the bundle of flowers down like he did before.

“Let's take a picture,” Tommy says and Karl nods, pulling up a panel and stepping over to them to get them in the right positions. Him standing next to the gravestone of L’manburg with Quackity standing behind it and Sapnap to his other side and Karl standing next to Sapnap. Quackity reaches out his hands to ruffle Tommy’s hair again like he always does and just as his hand lands on Tommy’s head the picture is taken.

It’s a full body picture, capturing the gravestone of L’manburg with Tommy next to it, Quackity standing behind it, Sapnap on Tommy’s other side and Karl beside Sapnap. Things have changed, they all have. Tubbo had two moms, Fundy got adopted, Dream’s getting more visitors in the prison, Ranboo’s staying with Phil and Techno and Tommy was sort of adopted by the most three unexpected people on the server. But that was okay. Everything was going to be okay.

\-----

Tommy did end up visiting Ranboo from time to time but never acknowledged Phil or Techno who starred and watched as they talked and played in the snow sometimes going to snowchester where they talked and played with Tubbo. Sapnap, Karl and Quackity even arranged dinner at Niki and Puffy’s where he could hang out with Tubbo while they talked, sometimes inviting Ranboo. It felt odd to have parental figures they’ve never had before but they weren’t complaining. Over the span of the few months Quackity and Sapnap despite their very chaotic behavior were also tired of fighting and had mellowed out a bit but still kept their joking and chaotic personalities and did pull pranks with Tommy on Karl a majority of the time which earned all three of them a scolding by Karl even if not all three of them had a hand in it.

Despite all of this there was one more thing he needed to do before he could continue forward with the future. So here he was standing in front of his worst enemy with Karl to his side. Sam didn’t want all four of them going in so Sapnap and Quackity stayed with Sam on the other side of the lava while him and Karl came into the cell. Dream didn’t look different but he wasn’t wearing his lime green sweater and had on a plain long sleeved black shirt with plain white baggy pants and black leather boots his mask still on his face but pushed up slightly so his mouth and nose were visible.

“Dream” He said in a sort of greeting as he stared at the man he had once a long time ago called a friend, maybe even a brother, now reduced to the shell of a person sitting before him.

“Was wondering when you were going to visit, the others told me you disappeared” Dream said, lifting his arms to intertwine them behind his head. Before Dream was a book with writing across the pages neat and elegant and not too hard for Tommy to read.

“I didn’t” He muttered with a shrug. “Dad took me in and I’ve been staying with him” He said motioning to Karl who smiled at him when he looked back at Karl who stood a bit closer to the exit but not too close to the lava.

“You call Karl, Dad?” Dream noted. “When did that happen?” He questioned.

“Over the time I’ve been living with him. I call Sapnap pops and Quackity Pa, it’s a bit odd but they’ve replaced Phil in my heart” Tommy muttered, he didn’t know why he was talking to Dream like they were old friends catching up on things in each other's life they missed.

“I figured” Dream shrugged. “Phil didn’t seem like the best father and if I’m being honest I’m surprised he barely even visited you in exile” Dream sighed heavily. Tommy moved forward sitting down in front of Dream with a bit of space between them, legs crossed one over the other.

“Karl’s taught me a lot of things, he’s taught me how to write better and how to cook different things even how to weave a basket” He said, his tone getting more light as he spoke with a smile on his face as he stared at the obsidian floor. “All things Phil never taught me” He added at the end, going silent.

It didn’t last long “When you came to visit I expected you to be alone” Dream said. “And to just yell at me at how much of a bastard I am and how much I hurt you” Dream added. “You’ve changed these past few months haven’t you?” He asked.

“I have” He responded until he pulled out something he wanted to give Dream, it was just a notebook of sketches he asked Sam he could give to Dream since the man obviously hasn’t seen the outside in a while and Sam had looked through it to make sure there was nothing hidden in it. Sam had agreed to let him give it to Dream and Tommy was more than happy with that. “This is something I’ve been working on, over the time I’ve lived with Karl and then I’ve begun drawing or sketching really” Tommy said. “I honestly expected the same when I came to visit to get angry at you but at this point there's no reason and do you know why Dream?” He asked, lifting his gaze from the floor.

“Why?” Dream asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Because I’m tired” He responded and Dream shifted a bit of a frown on his face as he tilted his head. “I’m tired of fighting and all this conflict and if I’m being honest Dream” He sighed heavily as he placed the sketch book on the ground. “I want things to go back to the way they were before, before you became what you are now and when we used to be friends. When I used to see you as a brother” He said.

Despite not being able to see Dream’s eyes he knew they’d probably wide open if he could. He stood up walking back over to Karl who called to Sam to let the lava down. “For what it’s worth Dream, I’m-”

“Don't,” Dream said. Tommy looked back over at the man as the lava began to come down. There were tears running down his cheeks from underneath the mask. “Don’t, you shouldn’t be the one fucking apologizing Tommy! I-” he cut himself off. “I should be apologizing,” He added.

“But you don’t know how to,” Tommy said, already knowing that Dream had no words to explain how sorry he was for what he put Tommy through, there was no apology that could wash away the pain this man had caused him. “I’ll be waiting till you find the words,” Tommy said, stepping onto the stone brick platform and leaving Dream there. He felt a weight lift off his shoulders as he stepped in the area Sam, Sapnap and Quackity were, both coming over to ask if they were okay. Tommy just nodded with a smile while Karl explained to them the meeting went fine.


	2. You Call Yourself A God & Say You Don't Care, It's A Fabricated Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karl delivers the letters and the axe of peace to Techno and Phil. Doesn't stop him from being petty while doing so.
> 
> (Might make alternate version, I have ideas :D)

Karl breathed out heavily, face scrunching in discomfort at the biting cold against his cheeks. He had made sure to dress in layers when Tommy told him Techno was held up in a tundra. He didn’t understand how anyone would want to live in a tundra of all places, the place was cold and almost desolate of anything and everything depending on if you settled down in a tundra plane or near spruce forests that for some reason grow within tundra biomes. He stepped away from the portal the sound of crunching snow following him as he walked in the direction of the coordinates Tommy had given him, he was glad he thought to bring his communicator or else he wouldn’t be able to check it for coordinates and would have probably gotten lost.

He had the axe of peace on the hook of his belt with the two letters in his satchel. He understood partially why Tommy wouldn’t want to go to Phil or Techno directly. The three didn’t have a good history with Phil being a neglectful father and Techno being the eldest's out of Phil’s three kids telling the youngest to die like a hero, after spawning withers in the boys home a little after Tommy’s other older brother set off tnt. A part of him in the back of his mind tells him, he’d very much like the rip the two a new one for all the things they did to Tommy, but it wasn’t his place. When Tommy was ready to talk to them he would.

Once the house came into sight, he tried to keep the boiling anger growing inside him down. He had to be civil, he was the more understanding of him and his fiancés. Quackity tended to choose violence rather than words and Sapnap was an arsonist so he tended to solve his problems with fire, it didn’t help that Sapnap was a blaze hybrid. As Karl walked closer to the house he could see Phil standing at the front feeding Carl, Techno’s horse from what he remembered. He found it slightly funny how their names were almost the same but off by one letter.

He watched Phil turn to him at the sound of footsteps approaching, he watched as a confused look crossed the man's face upon seeing him but it didn’t last as the man smiled and greeted him. “Karl, didn’t think you’d be all the way out here, did you need something?” Phil asked.

“I’m just looking to speak to Technoblade,” Karl responded, his voice uncharacteristically monotone. Phil nodded and motioned for him to follow him, they approached the staircase on the side of the house, coming up to the door that Phil pushed open without much care stepping inside with Karl following after the other.

The house was small, warm and cozy but Karl could care less about it all as he pulled off his satchel and began digging for the letters while hearing Phil speak to Technoblade who sat in a red plush armchair next to the fire. “Karl’s here Techno” He watched from the corner of his peripheral vision as Techno looked up, gaze landing on him before nodding to Phil and standing walking over to them both near the door, that was now shut to keep the cold air out.

“I just came to give a few things to you two,” Karl said, finally getting the letters out of his satchel that held his memory book and a few other books, pens, paper and a few potions of healing that he kept with him in case something went wrong on his time travel journey’s. He pulled his satchel back on over his shoulder holding the two letters out to Techno who took them, reading over the names on the front. He watched Techno’s expression go from calm, to maybe a little sour.

“These are from Tommy” Techno stated more than questioned. Karl shrugged knowing that Techno probably recognized Tommy’s handwriting, despite it getting slightly better with his help. He had been happy to help Tommy improve his writing, the kid picked up things rather easily and learned quickly. He never noticed it before due to the little time he spent around the children of the server. Karl didn’t say anything more to Techno instead moved to pull the axe off his belt and held it out to Techno, the handle facing the other while he held it by the netherite blade.

Techno stared for a few silent seconds, while Phil watched his expression equally as upset as Techno’s. “Thank you, you probably had a lot of trouble getting this from Tommy” Techno sighed taking the axe from him. Karl couldn’t stop the spark of annoyance in him nor the snappish response he gave.

“Tommy asked me to return it to you, along with giving you the letters” He responded, his voice holding no kindness, all bark and bite meant to hit a cord. He watched the flash of disbelief in Phil’s expression before he steeled it and looked indifferent.

“Tommy would never willingly give something up” Phil tells him in a matter of fact tone, like he knows better than Karl does. But Karl knows Phil is wrong, because he’s been living with Tommy for a while now, Tommy has a tendency to take things from unused books to pencils to other household items but always returns some of the items, sure he doesn’t return all of them (mostly the books) but that doesn’t mean the kid kept them forever and never returned them. Tommy could have asked for most of the item’s, but the kids usually left in the house alone when he’s not there and he barely notices when anything is either missing or moved.

“Well he did” He snarled his gaze turning from indifferent to a glare. “I would know, considering he’s been living with me for the time being” He added while crossing his arms while Techno opened the envelope and pulled out two sheets of paper written on both the front and back. Karl can’t stop the satisfaction in the confused look on Techno’s face, when he looks over the writing on the pages. Tommy hadn’t written the letters immediately, he had written a few words left it then came back to the letter after a few days of thinking, Karl would know since he was there to help Tommy through the thought process.

Sure he didn’t know what specifically was on the letter, but he knew how odd the letter looked going from scribbled and messed up writing to more elegant and improved writing that still somehow looked like Tommy’s handwriting. “This couldn’t be Tommy’s hand-” Techno tries to say, sounding a little confused and surprised.

“It is” He interrupts. “I’ve been helping him improve, he learns quickly” Karl adds offhandedly comments without a care on how his words will affect them. He doesn’t care if he hurts his feelings or not because they don’t matter to him, after far as he’s concerned the only one that matters to him in this situation right now at this moment is Tommy. He knows it isn’t a good idea to antagonize Techno or Phil but he doesn’t have the heart to care right now. 

He took even more satisfaction in the way Phil frowns his eyes narrowing and gaze becoming one filled with either jealousy or disbelief, maybe even both. He watches Phil take the other letter from Techno, the one with his name on it and open the envelope to look at the pages. Phil’s letter is written in more neat hand writing since Tommy did Techno’s first, Phil’s letter was a little over five pages written on both front and back.

“Tommy wouldn’t just give letters, if he wanted to say something he would have said it to us face to face” Phil said the confusion in his voice was obvious. It wasn’t a lie, Phil’s words were true, Tommy would rather confront someone with his opinion rather than write it out in a letter because writing would take more time and effort to get his words right, why write a letter when he could just tell you what he wanted to say face to face. Karl himself isn’t sure why Tommy wanted him to give them letters instead of telling them himself but he wasn’t about to question what Tommy wanted.

“Be grateful” He huffed. “I don’t think you deserve a letter let alone to talk to Tommy, I thought of just coming here and giving you the axe after burning them. Whatever apology is on those letters Tommy wants to give you I don’t think you deserve an ounce of it” Karl spits, his words nothing but venom, his face pulling into a scowl, he doesn’t say anything more and turn’s on his heels pulling the door open the cold wind stinging against his skin. He steps outside, slamming the door behind him on his way out. He knows what he said was petty but at that point his anger had been beyond his boiling point.

[-----]

It had been a few hours after Karl had left, Phil had folded the letter without reading it and left to go back to whatever he was doing. Techno on the other hand kept the letter in his hands and sat down by the fireplace staring at the first paragraph that had Tommy’s all too familiar handwriting, the second paragraph being a bit neater. He had looked over the two pages without reading anything, paragraph after paragraph the words got neater and more readable.

Techno couldn’t understand why there was a small flame of jealousy knowing Karl had been the one to help Tommy improve. It wasn’t like he cared (He did) Tommy had betrayed him after all, it didn’t matter who Tommy was staying with now (It did) he wasn’t jealousy (He was) the voices wouldn’t shut up about how he needed to fix this. How Karl was trying to replace him or even Phil, as Tommy’s family, some of the voices told him to stop this, others told him it was deserved.

He ignored them all in favor of beginning to read over the first letter.

_ Dear Technoblade  _

_ Bet you expected some curse words didn’t you, well sorry to disappoint but I’ve been trying to cut down on those lately. I’m not here to talk trash about you, or tell you how much you messed up in destroying L’manburg or anything of the sort. It’s been a bit of time and I’ve been thinking about all the things I’d want to say to you if we ever did see each other again. And I’ve come to the conclusion (Karl helped me with figuring out wording) that I’m tired, I don’t want to hold grudges, I don’t want to hate you or Phil or anyone for that matter. All I want is to live in peace. But to do that I feel like I need to say I’m sorry.  _

_ Don’t get me wrong, I loved L'manburg. I fought for it and lost two lives for it. But even I know the day Wilbur and Schlatt died, L’manburg was doomed to go with them. Time after time, day after day nothing ever felt the same, it’d never be the same. I miss it sometimes. Sure I sided with L’manburg on doomsday and betrayed you, but you should have expected it to be honest, you helped Wilbur push and encouraged his plans to blow up L’manburg, you spawned withers and told me to die like a hero.  _

_ You said this to your own brother no less, believe me when I say this I am truly sorry for betraying you but that doesn’t stop me from resenting you to an extent. You were always the favorite, always running off with Phil leaving Wilbur to raise me alone. I knew you cared to an extent, there was a lot you could and couldn’t do that Wilbur could. While you taught me how to fight, you never provided physical affection, not in the way Wilbur could. I knew you both cared, it had been years since I’ve seen you and seeing you again in pogtopia had been hard, realizing how different you were then and now.  _

_ I realized, you weren’t my brother, adopted or not, you weren’t the same because I never knew you to begin with. You taught me how to fight but that's all you ever did. You were never my brother, and whether these words hurt you or not it’s the truth. I don’t know if you saw me as your little brother or just as some kid Phil picked off the street and dumped responsibility onto Wilbur. I resent you, but I resent Phil more for what he took from me, for who he took from me. I know Wilbur was your brother as much as he was mine, but that doesn’t change the fact that Wilbur was more of a father to me then Phil.  _

_ I’m sorry for betraying you Techno, I’m sorry for leeching off you, I’m sorry for making your life harder than it already could have been. But we both knew what we were getting into when we teamed together, you only wanted me around for help to burn L’manburg to the ground again, I didn’t forget that, I never did. You said it many times it was hard not to forget. I only wanted my discs and sooner or later I realized you’d never help me get them back, you were too caught up in your plans to destroy L’manburg that you weren’t any help to me. After all your plans took top priority. Looking back on it now, if anyone’s selfish it’s you and Phil.  _

He stopped reading there, he couldn’t continue. He didn’t want to continue reading this letter, because a part of him believed it was true, the words made sense and everything in the letter made sense. He had seen Tommy as his brother but did Tommy see him as his brother, he never acted like it, not in the past and certainly not in the end. At the end of the day he couldn’t call Tommy his brother with how terrible he had been. He’d never made an effort to help Wilbur with anything regarding Tommy when they were home, Phil never made a move to take on responsibility either.

He knew he couldn’t push the blame onto anyone but himself. The words hurt, it was a harsh truth that cut deep. So deep he couldn’t help but cry, sitting silent as tears cascaded down his face.

[-----]

Phil preferred to be alone when he began reading his letter and knew Techno would have also preferred being left alone. He hadn’t talked to Tommy since Doomsday, he assumed Tommy had either started staying at his holiday house again or back in his little dirt shack, he was more than surprised and a little upset to find out Karl had taken in his son. Even more so when he found out the other was teaching Tommy knew things, like he was Tommy’s parental guardian, like Tommy was legally his child. The thought made a deep feeling of sinking dread collect in the pit of his stomach as he stood outside near the bee farm, he pulled the five papers out of the envelope and started reading the first page.

_ Dear Phil  _

_ You probably expected something different, like a hey Dad! Long time to see type things, maybe a bit more cursing. But I’ve been learning a lot from staying with Karl, he’s nice, he’s not pushy and he certainly isn’t ignorant. Unlike Techno’s letter, this isn’t an apology, no this is to tell you how terrible of a father you were. Heck you couldn’t even be considered a father. Wilbur was the one who practically raised me, sure I remember you being the one to bring me home but you never gave me an ounce of your attention after my mother died, you dumped me onto Wilbur and took Techno on constant adventures expecting us to still love and see you as our father when you didn’t do anything for us, for me.  _

_ Wilbur was more of a father figure than you’ll ever be, I’m not surprised he wasn’t the best father to Fundy. Sure Wilbur supported Fundy in his transition but that doesn’t mean Wilbur was always there for Fundy, after all with the wars for L’manburgs independence and all it was bound to happen that Fundy would be neglected. Fundy’s not even that much older than me, last I checked he was 18. I wish Eret had been able to adopt Fundy, I honestly wish you had no say in it all. You're the worst person that could have handled something like that.  _

_ If I’m being honest here then I wish you never came to the Dream Smp, I wish you never murdered took Wilbur last life, I wish you were just never here, and most importantly I wish you never took in Ranboo, because he deserves better than what you could ever give him. I won’t get in the way of you and Techno taking care of Ranboo but I honestly hope you get your act together for him, because god knows you weren’t a good father back then but let's hope you're a better father now.  _

_ It’s understandable why you took in Ranboo, he’s a lot like Techno, quiet, folds under peer pressure easily, and is a hybrid. I’m not going to sit here and write that I’m happy you found a replacement for me because I’m not, I don’t resent Ranboo I resent you more than I resent Techno for having your attention the most. I said this in Techno’s letter and I’ll say it here, I don’t want to hold grudges but that’s hard. It’s hard considering how much you took from me Phil, and that doesn’t just address to you that would include Techno and Dream.  _

_ I’m sure you're wondering how Dream plays into all of this well I’ll tell you, and by the end of this I’m sure you’ll realize just how terrible of a father you are.  _

The letter went on and on about everything that happened to Tommy during his exile, detailing how Dream would demand he throw everything into a hole or he’d threaten to take his last life, how he’d blow it all up in front of Tommy after the other hand gave up all their items. How Dream constantly told Tommy how better L’manburg and everyone was without him, how Dream had told Tommy repeatedly that Dream was his only friend, and the only one he could trust and rely on. How Dream’s manipulation went from there to verbal abuse that soon turned physical when Tommy stepped out of line in Dream’s eyes.

The more he read the more he cried, the tears didn’t stop but he didn’t make a sound as he continued to read the pages front and back multiple times after. At this point night had fallen and he was sitting on the ground in Carl’s pen back pressed against the stone wall behind him. The papers at this point were tear stained and wrinkled from how he was gripping them. The last words at the end of the letter will always remind him of how terrible of a father he is.

_ Are you happy now? You didn’t just lose one son, you lost two  _

[-----]

Karl sighed heavily pushing the door to his house open and smiling when Tommy came barreling into him, giving him a hug that was completely unexpected but not unwelcome. “You're finally back, I was getting bored,” Tommy whined while dragging him inside like an insistent child trying to order their parents around.

“Calm down Tommy, I wasn’t gone that long” Karl reassured the other, a smile drawing across his lips as he stepped inside the house, closing the door with a soft click behind him. The other huffed and turned going back into the living room while Karl pulled off his satchel and jacket hanging them on the hooks on the wall by the door. He kicked off his shoes and put on a pair of fuzzy sandals and followed after the other who was waiting on the couch with a book in his hands. Karl sat down next to him and Tommy held out a book to him. Without much words they both fell into comfortable silence, books in hands and began reading.

If Tommy fell asleep against him two and a half hours later Karl didn’t say anything and instead put Tommy's bookmark on his page and closed his and Tommy’s books, setting them on the coffee table and gently picked **his** kid up with some difficulty but got Tommy to his room without much more trouble. He sat back down on the couch a little after staring blankly off into space before a thought crossed his mind that made him smile.

  
“My kid huh” He whispered, the smile not leaving his face, and it didn’t for awhile. Maybe he could someday make it official.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it's not obvious by now I'm not a Techno or Phil apologist ):<


	3. How Long Will Happiness Last (Will It Be Forever?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just for people's information I haven't decided what order all of these should go in, but this one is set after the events if the first chapter of it isn't obvious. I will be doing more of these small snippets as I enjoyed this idea the most and am glad others also enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it not sure if its noticeable but I'm writing this on tablet and my arms are getting tired, bye!

When they came home they expected everything to be fine, to see Tommy come running into the house with Clementine speeding after him making indignant squawks as she followed. They did not expect to come home to some of the dressers in the house knocked down, the lights turned off, the house dead silent and trails of blood on the floor. They had one fear, and that fear was that Dream had somehow escaped and came to target Tommy, a few months back Sam had asked to meet with them and told them all the things Dream had been telling him about what he did to Tommy in exile.

Karl wasn’t able to get through the whole conversation without breaking down into tears and Sapnap was in disbelief of his friends actions, Quackity wanted so badly to sock Dream in the face. All in all that day Sam told them all four of them including Sam made an agreement to protect Tommy. Sam sort of became a fourth father figure to Tommy since the boy had asked Sam to help build a hotel and the two had been working a lot on it. Sam often came to the house to pick Tommy up early in the morning to head to the construction site.

Quackity liked to describe in a joking manner that they had shared custody over Tommy which made Karl and Sapnap roll their eyes but laugh. They were happy Sam was there to help Tommy since the egg was still being a big problem on the server and they had been a little nervous to let Tommy wander near it.

Karl quickly moved forward stepping over the broken things on the ground and rushing up the stairs to where Tommy’s room was. He pushed the door open and found Tommy curled up in a ball on the floor next to his bed, Karl practically froze in the doorway seeing the pure white feathered wings coming out of Tommy’s lower back, a second pair of smaller wings coming out the side of his head. He shakily moved forward and shook Tommy awake watching as the boy cracked an eye open lazily before he realized who was in front of him and moved forward to hug him which Karl gladly returned.

“It h-hurts” Tommy muttered quietly, the sound of footsteps telling Karl that Sapnap and Quackity had followed him.

“I know, it’ll probably continue to hurt but right now let's get the blood off of you” Karl said quietly as he lifted Tommy up and led him to the bathroom in the house. The bathroom that was on the bottom floor had a bathtub unlike the bathroom in Tommy’s room which was just a shower. It took a bit of maneuvering but he had gotten down the stairs with Sapnap’s help while Quackity began to clean up. 

They sat Tommy on the toilet seat while Karl turned on the water for the tub making sure the water was warm before clogging the drain with the plug and turning back to face Tommy. “Turn around for me Tommy” He said gently Tommy nodded sluggishly face scrunching up at the bright light of the bathroom as he shifted on the toilet seat. Karl examined his back noticing that the broken skin Tommy’s wings had to tear apart to come out was already healing, he wasn’t sure what avian variant Tommy was so he had to figure that out later. “Get in the tub for me and how long have you been like this?” He asked gently as he turned around only listening to Tommy as the boy spoke.

“A few days maybe, happened in the kitchen and I sorta panicked. They developed rather quickly” Tommy muttered to him the sound of sloshing water telling him he was getting into the tub. Karl turned back around. 

“Turn so I can clean your wings,” Karl said as he picked up a cup. Tommy sat sideways in the tub, back facing Karl and legs pulled to his chest and wings spread out. Most of the blood was on his back but there was some dried blood in his hair from the smaller wings on his head.

[-----]

After getting Tommy some new clothes and having to cut a whole in the lower back of the shirt for his wings Karl got a blanket wrapped it around the kid and they sat on the couch curled up together Tommy still drowsy and tired mumbling about what he did before his wings began to grow in which Karl imagined would probably have been extremely painful. Sapnap and Quackity were quick to join them after sitting in silence with Tommy still leaning against him sleeping, Sapnap to his other side and Quackity sitting on the other side of Tommy.

“Well Quackity you're gonna have to teach him how to fly” Karl sighed heavily already dreading the thought of Tommy somehow falling mid flight and getting injured.

“Well I have to learn what Avian variant he is first” Quackity responded. Karl looked down at Tommy when the boy seemed to respond to Quackity.

“Can you say that again Tommy?” Karl asked the boy who he thought had been asleep before he spoke up.  
  


“I’m not an avian variant. Most variants have one pair of wings that are on their upper back. I have two pairs and my main pair are on my lower back and not my upper back” Tommy said sluggishly pausing between words before continuing a reminder of how tired the boy must be.

“Thanks for the info kid, let's get you to bed” Sapnap muttered with a heavy sigh. Karl and Sapnap helped him up the stairs and to his room which had also been cleaned while Karl was helping clean off the blood from the boy’s wings.

Once he was in bed the three gathered in the living room and stared blankly into space for a few more minutes. Quackity quickly pulled out his communicator and called Sam who picked up immediately. Karl listened as Quackity began telling Sam about everything that they had just done including Tommy’s wings.

“How do you think he feels right now?” Karl asked, turning to Sapnap a little afraid. Karl knew how much Tommy resented Phil and how much he hated looking like his father Karl was afraid he’d do something he might regret like try to cut them off. Most avian’s or other hybrids with wings never survived through the process of having their wings cut off and even then no hybrid with wings would even want to do such a thing taking great pride in their wings.

“We can’t tell how he feels, he’s probably going to be a bit out of it for a day or two maybe not who knows honestly” Sapnap shrugged. This matter was serious and he didn’t really feel like joking around. Sapnap himself had freaked out when his hybrid features came in from not just his horns that glowed a bright burning yellow looking like molten lava to the tips of his fingers becoming a light orange all the way down to the fact he was immune to being burnt by lava.

Karl wouldn’t really know what Tommy felt like, he knew Sapnap and Quackity would understand best since they were hybrids and Quackity like Tommy had been a bit of a late bloomer getting his own wings at 17 rather than eight or eleven like his peers. Quackity had been freaked out by the experience from what he’s told him and Sapnap, the whole ordeal had been so surreal to the other that he took a few days to even process the fact he had wings and even then he couldn’t use them for a while with no one to teach him and from how sore his back was from them coming in. Then Phil came around and taught him how to fly which had been the best experience Quackity had ever had, a part of them all knew Tommy would rather learn to fly from Quackity rather than Phil.

Quackity himself wasn’t sure if he could teach Tommy how to fly having barely an experience in teaching anyone. But from the way Phil showed him how, which was just bringing him up high in the sky and letting him fall catching him whenever he couldn’t do it. Quackity thought that process wasn’t the best so he was definitely not using that process with Tommy of all people who didn’t handle stress well under terrible situations like that.

[-----]

Tommy almost bounced back on the first day waking up rather groggily but his mind seemed to clear up after breakfast and he began to process the fact he did now have wings. Tommy had been a little surprised to see Sam and Puffy over the two having been helping Tommy immensely Sam with the construction of Tommy’s hotel and Puffy with protecting Tommy from Jack who seemed to be acting strange so they figured they should invite them over and then they could all work out how their going to fit teaching Tommy to fly and working at the construction site into the boys schedule.

The landslide of a breakdown hit when Tommy came back from the bathroom after breakfast and sat outside with Puffy on a bench, blank look on his face as he seemed to be thinking over something until the onslaught of tears came and he began whispering about how much he hated looking like Phil the man that was his father the very man he resented with a passion of a thousand sun’s for choosing his oldest over his youngest again and again.

Puffy who had been sitting with him outside had gone into a panic and called out to Karl, Sam, Quackit and Sapnap who had come running. It took a lot of reassuring that he didn’t look anything like Phil sure they had the same blonde hair and bright blue eyes but Tommy’s hair was longer and the beginning of freckles were showing more across his pale skin under his eyes and over his nose not to mention his ears now seemed slightly longer with the added pair of wings on the side of his head and his main pair being on his lower back. To top it all off Tommy’s wings were white not pitch black like Phil’s. After all that convincing Tommy seemed to become more calmer but looked tired.

Puffy was extremely worried, a part of her was enraged that Tommy resented Phil enough to even consider cutting off his wings which wasn’t even an option they would let him consider for long. Her rage wasn’t directed towards Tommy god forbid but it was more so towards Phil, sure the two haven’t had much contact since Tommy talked to him last on the prime path near L’manburgs grave but that didn’t stop them from being angry with the man.

Tommy after that sat with Puffy and Karl for a bit in the flower field with Tommy moving his wings around telling them how odd it was since it was just like having four new limbs but they seemed to move more on instinct. Tommy had thought having wings would be a little odd and more complicated but having them now they seemed quite easy to deal with of course Phil had told him the ups and downs to having wings when they still lived together.

Tommy had learned a lot of avian’s considering Phil was one and the possibility of him developing wings was still there but they stopped expecting it when he got past the age of 13 without ever developing them. Tommy wasn’t that bothered by it seeing on problem with the way he was when not having wings but he could tell Phil held slight disappointment about the whole ordeal.

The day went on with talk of how they're going to split teaching Tommy to fly and continue his work at the construction site. Quackity spent the first two days of the first week teaching Tommy how to conceal his wings since Tommy didn’t want others openly knowing about them just yet especially since Tommy often traveled a lot over the Smp including when he went to visit Ranboo at Phil’s and Techno’s who have tried to talk to him about everything in the past but have somewhat given up on it after Tommy told them to give him time and maybe then they could try and mend things a little between them.

Hiding his wings wasn’t as complicated as Tommy thought since his wings for some odd reason they found he could shrink his wings down to a small and more hideable size or he could hide them completely and they’d form into a pair of small tattoos on his lower back about the same size as his hand. His smaller pair of wings weren’t the same as hiding his main pair; they turned into small tattoos on his neck an inch behind his ears. It wasn’t much of a problem since they were easy to hide thanks to his long hair.

Flying was a whole other thing Tommy had fun but at the same time despised it with a seething passion. During the span of learning how to hide his wings and fly he had grown to love and take somewhat pride in them and their care especially when Karl, Sapnap, Quackity, Puffy, Sam and Tubbo who they had told helped him preen them and sometimes pull out overgrown feathers which did still hurt immensely.

Over all it took him an entire month to get use to his wings and learn to get the hang of flying but when he did Quackity would happily help him play air tag or they’d race around in the sky from the edge of the forest back to the house or even play ball mid air trying to keep the ball from touching the ground.

Although like he mentioned wings had their ups and downs.

[-----]

Tommy sighed heavily, wings folded at his lower back as he made his way down the stairs stopping at the bottom of the steps and turning the corner into the kitchen where he pulled open a cabinet to look for some medicine to deal with his morning headache. Once he found the medicine he got a glass of water and took the medicine with it, standing in front of the sink staring out the window and into the open meadow for a few minutes.

“Morning Tommy!” Now a few events happened with those words. Tommy jumped wings flaring out and waking Sapnap in the stomach who doubled over hitting his head against the counter on the way down the resulting harsh movements of his wings and the loud thud making Tommy drop the glass of water simultaneously shattering the glass on the floor sending pieces everywhere getting the floor, Tommy’s legs and Sapnap wet. There was mostly silence until the sound of Sapnap groaning made him realize what had just happened and the resulting noise woke Quackity and Karl who stormed down the stairs to be met with the mess before them.

[-----]

Karl sighed heavily as he rubbed at his eyes sleepisly, sitting at one of the stools at the island table. Ever Since Tommy’s wings developed Karl was happy to see that Sapnap and Quackity weren’t so inclined to hide their own hybrid features in the house and were getting quite comfortable showing them off to all three of them taking pride in their hybrid features. The only problem is Quackity and Tommy’s wings constantly knocking things over on an almost daily basis.

Karl was sitting quietly while Sapnap cooked and Quackity sat across from him, Tommy walked in after finishing his shower dressed in his new clothes that were designed with holes at the lower back for his wings. His wings were in question still dripping and getting water on the floor to Karl’s knowledge.

“Tommy, your wings” Karl pointed out and Tommy looked down at the water gathering on the floor and Karl and Quackity realized his mistake to late as Tommy shook out his wings flinging the leftover water on his wings everywhere and getting some things damp including the island table and a little bit of Karl himself.

Tommy seemed to realize his mistake and gave a rather sheepish smile. “Sorry big man” He muttered looking a little embarrassed but amused.

“It’s fine” Karl sighed heavily while Sapnap laughed because of the heat he emitted. He dried rather fast so wasn’t as affected by the water; this resulted in a grin from Karl as an idea sparked. “Sapnap, want a hug?” He asked.

“Karl!? Karl no not the shirt-”

[-----]

Sapnap, Quackity and Tommy had been walking through the forest that surrounded the house and had just returned and forgotten about the prank they had set up for Karl before they left. Sapnap had the unfortunate luck of being stood in between the two.  
  
“YOU THREE ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!” Karl yelled furiously slamming the door open making all three jump resulting in Quackity and Tommy’s wings to spread out and simultaneously wake Sapnap in the gut and in the face resulting in him once again doubling over.

“Shit Pops” Tommy cursed as he crouched in front of Sapnap feeling as embarrassed as Quackity looked.

“Why again?” Sapnap groaned and Quackity’s embarrassment melted away into full blown laughter Karl joining in not long after.

[-----]

Niki had found at the start of the second month of Tommy having wings which was June. Tommy had wanted to tell her sooner but had been extremely nervous about the whole ordeal in revealing them. When she saw them she had been nothing but ecstatic asking to help preen them and Tommy had reluctantly agreed. That was when they found out he could practically purr which Tubbo found hilarious and adorable, Tommy made a noise of indignation that sounded a lot like one of Clementine’s squawks but none of them said anything about that.

[-----]

Those were only a few memorable incidents and at this point Tommy had stopped hiding his wings in the middle of June but that didn’t stop him from being nervous as he flew through the falling snow on his way to meet Ranboo dressed in snow clothing and a jacket that didn’t block his wings from doing their purpose of carrying him across the sky. He had messaged Ranboo he was flying there since he didn’t feel like taking the nether. Ranboo had given him the coordinates and Tommy had to occasionally hover in the air and pull out his communicator to see how close he was.

The house came into view and he smiled when he saw Ranboo standing outside and felt a little nervous seeing Phil and Techno standing on the porch probably confused as to why Ranboo was looking into the sky. Ranboo had told him he hadn’t told Phil or Techno of his wings something about how it wasn’t his thing to tell and Tommy had been forever grateful as he landed without much probably shaking the snow off his wings and shoulders and looking up at Ranboo with a huge grin on his face his gaze focusing on Phil and Techno who stood there staring in confusion.

Well Phil was confused Techno had probably composed his expression before he could see it. “Tommy?” Ranboo turned and focused on Phil nervously fidgeting with his hands as both came forward. “You have wings?” Phil said quietly.

Tommy shifted nervously and nodded. “have had them for a month and a half” He muttered looking away.

“And you can fly?” Phil’s voice at this point sounded even more broken and distraught while Tommy couldn’t really bring himself to feel anything but some form of sick satisfaction that also made him feel a twinge of guilt.

“Y-yeah, I can” He responded, his voice cracking slightly as he pinned his gaze to the snow beneath his feet feeling like a child caught with something he shouldn’t have had in the first place or with his hand in the cookie jar. Tommy wasn’t sure how Techno was taking this whole ordeal but it was obvious from the emotions in his eyes that it wasn’t at all pleasant. “I-” 

Tommy didn’t know what to say but in this moment he realized he didn’t need to say or explain anything. It wasn’t like either of them had any obligation to what he was doing or how he was doing, sure legally and biologically Phil was still his father but he doesn’t consider the man his father and Quackity has been working out the legal papers with Eret, Karl and Sapnap. So instead of telling them anything he turned to Ranboo, grabbed the other by the hand and dragged him towards Ranboo’s house behind Techno’s. He avoided talking to the two the entire time he was there.

**Author's Note:**

> AU Were Karl, Sapnap and Quackity basically adopt Tommy and Tubbo gets adopted by Puffy and Niki then they adopt George and Tubbo and George are like brothers and Ranboo stays with Phil and Techno and shit.
> 
> Dream's sorry, I'm not an apologist but seeing Dream so miserable in prison man ;-;
> 
> This is just me wanting a goddamn happy ending for once D:<  
> Let me have this okay <_<


End file.
